Drug-Addicted Fish Are Helping Scientists Solve The Opioid Crisis

Scientists are turning tiny fish into drug addicts to study opioid addiction in the brain. Here’s what they’ve learned so far.

This Vaccine Could Treat Heroin Addiction –
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Given the choice, zebrafish willingly dose themselves with opioids

“As the opioid crisis escalates, the science behind addiction remains poorly understood. To address this need, researchers at University of Utah Health devised a system that allowed zebrafish, a small tropical fish, to self-administer doses of hydrocodone, an opioid commonly prescribed to people for pain.”

Opioid Vaccines Could Make the Brain Immune to Heroin

“What if, rather than replacing heroin with another drug, addicts could receive injections of a vaccine that makes them “immune” from the effects of heroin for months? That’s exactly what researchers from the Scripps Research Institute have claimed to have created. ”

Opioids Work Really, Really Well… But We Don’t Know Why

“Prescription painkillers work. Really well. In fact, drugs like oxycodone and hydrocodone are actually the best when it comes to medications for pain. But here’s the problem. They make people feel great. So, naturally, they want more. And also, they don’t just block pain signals–they impact other parts of your body too.”

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